Diaper flushing device



1964 J. T. LE CLERC ETAL 3,117,435

' DIAPER FLUSHING DEVICE Filed May 24, 1963 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 9 7INVENTORS.

Jo/m' 1.- may: 55743? 1-.- 446141092 M MI United States Patent 3,117,435DIAPER FLUSHENG DEVECE .lohn T. Le Clerc, 8925 Morrow Circle, Detroit,Mich, Lester F. Alexander, 13285 Sycamore, Southgate, icn.

Filed May 24, 1963, Ser. No. 282,923 Claims. (1. 63-181) The presentinvention relates to a diaper flushing device, and more particularly toa tubular hollow body mountable upon a wall with provision for hanging asoiled diaper upon its interior, together with means for supplyingwashing water into the body and drainage therefrom.

This invention has been devised to achieve a better and more efiicientmeans of cleaning soiled diapers other than the almost unbelievableunsanitary methods employed by millions of parents every year. Thepresent need is obvious due to the fact that there were over threemillion babies born last year. These new parents deserve and should havethe present diaper flushing device.

When the infants diaper is dirtied by solids, or otherwise, it iscustomary to employ a rough washing out duty at the time of occurrence,then to store the diaper in a conventional diaper pail or similarsubstitute.

It is the object of this invention to provide a flushing deviceprimarily designed for the rough washing out duty of soiled diapers.

It is another object to provide a diaper washing device that isefiicient in use, practical of installation, portable for convenience intravel and easily connectable to a conventional faucet. Another sanitaryadvantage is that this device is divorced from the toilet bowl since itis mounted on the wall with the aid of suction cups or other support,and in a suitable area desirable to the user.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the present diaper flushing deviceas mounted upon a wall fragmentarily shown and indicating the connectionof the water supply and drainage tubes.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the diaper flushing device shown inFIG. 1 on an increased scale with the tubes removed.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 33 ofFLG. 2, on an increased scale.

FIG. 4 is a section taken in the direction of arrows 44 of FIG. 2, on anincreased scale.

FIG. 5 is a. section taken in the direction of arrows 55 of FIG. 2, onan increased scale.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational View of the upper cover portion ofthe body shown in FIG. 2 illustrating the bayonet type of locking means.

FIG. 7 is a section on an increased scale taken in the direction ofarrows 7-7 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 with aslightly different form of Water inlet tube.

FIG. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely apreferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments arecontemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the diaper flushing device is generallydesignated at 11, FIG. 1, employing suitable mounting means such assuction cups 12 with respect to wall W, fragmentarily shown. Flexiblehose 13 is made of plastic or rubber, and includes a suitable fitting 14for attachment to faucet 15 of the bathroom fixture or sink 16 alsomounted upon wall W, fragmentarily shown. The other end of tube 13includes fitting 4t 3,l l7,435 Patented Jan. l i, l il l Z suitablysecured to threaded fitting 3%, FIG. 2, on upright water supply tube 38upon the interior of the hollow preferably plastic body 23.

It is essential to use full Water pressure in the operation of thepresent flushing device. Therefore, it is necessary to use the type ofconnection which will not leak. The conventional snap-on metal type ofconnection is most desirable; however, the all rubber slip-on typeconnection as at 14 will provide sufficient water pressure for deliveryto body 23.

The drain or outlet conduit 17 is also constructed of plastic or rubberand at its lower end has a hook shaped outlet 18, preferably a hard orrigid section of plastic tubing, which is pre-shaped to the contour oftoilet bowl 2% of toilet 21 so that it hooks into position as shown inFIG. 1. Outlet 18 is so arranged as to project under hinge 19 of toiletseat 22 so as to be completely out of the way and not interfere withnormal operation of the seat, and to be inconspicuous.

The outer shell or body 23 is preferably constructed of a plasticmaterial, such as polyethylene or polystyrene or the like, and may betransparent or translucent; and can be produced in various colors toharmonize with room color patterns. Base 2d of said body is funnelshaped, FIG. 2, and terminates in the threaded drain outlet 25 to whichis connected a drain tube or conduit 17 above described.

Removable flanged cover 27 may be of plastic material with a suitablehandle 28 and may be screwed upon or otherwise locked or sealed over theupper open end of body 23. The cover flange includes a pair of inwardlydirected pins 29 which lockingly nest within the opposed bayonet slots Bo -31 formed in said body, FIG. 6.

A diaper suspension clamp assembly is provided within the upper portionof the body suspended from cover 27, and includes disc 32 axiallyjournaled by headed pin 34 which is threaded or otherwise securedcentrally to cover 27 as at 35 so that said disc extends transverselyacross the upper end portion of the body. Depending from disc 32 are aseries of spaced radially extended vanes 33. The U shaped clip 36depends from a central portion of disc 32 and mounts the spring biasedhand clamp 37 adapted to normally grasp a free end portion of a soileddiaper D schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 upon the interior of body23.

An upri ht water supply or inlet tube 33 is shown upon the interior ofbody 23 adjacent one wall thereon. Said tube extends toward the upperopen end of said body and includes intermediate its ends a series ofinwardly directed water jet outlets 41 and at its upper end terminatesin the circular transversely arranged spray head 42 of general spiralform. This spray head upon its undersurface has a series oflongitudinally spaced fluid outlets 43, and terminates in the upwardlyinclined water pressure jet outlet 44. The latter extends angularly withrespect to vanes 33 to provide for impingement of pressure fluidthereagainst for effecting rotary movement of the diaper suspensionclamp assembly.

The circular or spiral shaped spray head 42 extends around the interiorof body 23 adjacent the wall thereof. The outlet openings 43 are tiny,similar to that of a conventional shower head, so that the water showersdown through the larger tube and impinges upon diaper D suspendedtherein. While disc 32 with vanes 33 has been shown as one means forelfecting rotation of the suspended diaper, it is contemplated that anyother similar device could be employed for spinning the diaper such asis used in lawn sprinklers, for illustration.

Since the diaper suspending clamp assembly is permanently attached tocover 27, for insertion or removal of diaper D from the body 23 thecover is removed to provide access to the clamp 37 suspended therefrom.

With the lock-on feature or" the cover 27 with respect to the body, thehandle 28 may be employed for convenience in the portability of thepresent flushing device and to facilitate loading and unloading.

While rubber suction cups 12 have been shown as an easy and practicalmeans of installation, other methods may be employed such as suitablebrackets similar to those employed in mounting fire extinguishers upon awall.

Dynamic Washing Action-Operation Due to the heavy downfall of water fromshower head 42, the upper two to three inches of water has a remarkableflushing action on the diaper. Thousands of tiny aerated bubbles areconcentrated in this area, FIG. 2. As the Water level rises in body 23,this remarkable action continues upwards to clean the diaper, spot at atime, until it finally reaches the top of the diaper. Meanwhile, inaddition to the flushing action caused by the shower head, the diaper isalso spinning, deriving its power from waterwheel 33.

This spinning of the diaper helps give a double action effect. As anadditional aid to the spinning and flushing action, there are preferablythree jet outlets 41 in tube 38, FIG. 2. These holes are directedapproximately to the center of the diaper (and angled off to the sidefor spinning purpose) that is normally the soiled area to be cleaned.These spray holes also tend to clean and saturate this soiled area whilethe water level is slowly working its way up with the flushing action.When the water level reaches the top of the tube, the diaper tends totwist into a knot effect that help wring out the diaper. The watersupply is then turned oil, causing the water in body 23 to empty outquite rapidly leaving the knotted diaper to unwind to its startingposition, where it can then be removed or left to drip-dry till the'nextsoiled diaper arrives.

A- slightly different construction of flushing device is shown in FIGS.8 and 9 corresponding to FIG. 2 and wherein instead of an elongatedupright water inlet tube 38 inlet tube 38 is reasonably short. Itissuitably sealed through base 24 at 46 and has an arcuate upwardlyinclined outlet 44'. Said outlet 4-4 conforms to and is closely'adiacentthe inner wall of body-23, so that inward movement of the water causes arotative swirling action upon the interior of the body and will thusaffect rotation of the diaper suspended from clamp assembly 3637, suchas shown in FIG. 2.

The primary difference, however, is that in FIG. 8 the flushing deviceis simplified in that tube'SS does not 3: extend to the upper end asshown in FIG. 2 terminating in the spiral element or head-42 with theinclined outlet 44. Furthermore, the spinner assembly 323334 is omitted.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to thefollowing claims.

No claim:

1. A diaper flushing device comprising an elongated upright hollow bodymounted upon a wall and having a fluid outlet at its lower end adaptedfor connection to a drain;

a removable cover upon the upper end of the body;

a diaper suspension clamp assembly axially depending from the cover;

an upright water supply tube within the body adjacent its wall, thelower end of the tube extending through the bottom of thebody adaptedfor connectionto a source of water under pressure, and an arcuateupwardly inclined outlet on the upper end of said water supply tube,said inclined outlet being closely adjacent the wall of the body toprovide a rotary swirling action.

2. in the diaper flushing device of claim 1, and a support means on thebody for removably securing said body upon a wall.

3. In the diaper flushing device of claim 1, said diaper clamp assemblyincluding a disc-extending transversely of the body and looselyjournaled upon" said cover, and a hand clamp axially suspended from thedisc.

4. in a diaper flushing device of claim '1, said body having a conicalbottom wall which terminates in said first named outlet, and a flexibletube at one end removably connected to said first named outlet andat'its other end having a hook shaped outlet'adapted to fit over'atoilet bowl under the seat without interference with normal usagethereof.

5. in the diaperflushing device of claim 1, the lower end of said tubeon the exterior of thebody having a fitting, and a flexible tube at oneend joined to said fitting and at its other end having a fitting adaptedfor snug connection to a water faucet.

ReferencestCited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,697,341 Thomas Dec. 21, 1954 2,972,878 Dickey "Feb. 28, 1961 3,018,488Snead Jan..3 1952 3,081,613 Konrad Mar. 19, 1963

1. A DIAPER FLUSHING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UPRIGHT HOLLOW BODYMOUNTED UPON A WALL AND HAVING A FLUID OUTLET AT ITS LOWER END ADAPTEDFOR CONNECTION TO A DRAIN; A REMOVABLE COVER UPON THE UPPER END OF THEBODY; A DIAPER SUSPENSION CLAMP ASSEMBLY AXIALLY DEPENDING FROM THECOVER;